(a) The Secretary of State shall promulgate regulations establishing guidelines for county elections officials relating to the processing of vote by mail ballots.

(b) The Secretary of State shall evaluate the necessity for procedures that will protect voters’ personally identifying information from elections observers present during the signature comparison process specified in Section 3019. These procedures may be included in the regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

(c) (1) The Secretary of State shall evaluate the cost and necessity of requiring an elections official to use information in the county’s election management system, or otherwise in the elections official’s possession, for the purpose of notifying a voter of the opportunity to verify a signature pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 3019 or to provide a signature pursuant to subdivision (e) of Section 3019. Based on this review, the Secretary of State may impose these requirements in regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

(2) The Secretary of State shall evaluate the cost and necessity of requiring an elections official to send the additional written notices to voters specified in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of, and clause (iii) of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (e) of, Section 3019. Based on this review, the Secretary of State may impose these requirements in regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

(d) When promulgating or amending regulations pertaining to signature comparison pursuant to Section 3019, the Secretary of State shall consult with recognized elections experts, voter access and advocacy stakeholders, and local elections officials.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 701, Sec. 2. (SB 77) Effective January 1, 2024.)